Man pleads guilty to toddler loss of life

A 35-300 and sixty five days ragged man has admitted murdering a “defenceless” two-300 and sixty five days-ragged lady in Dungannon in August 2021.

Ali Jayden Doyle died from head accidents she sustained in a dwelling within the Park Avenue subject of the County Tyrone metropolis.

Darryn John Armstrong, whose address turned into given as HMP Maghaberry, firstly pleaded not guilty to the homicide price at a outdated court docket appearance.

On Tuesday his barrister Brian McCartney KC urged Mr Justice O’Hara “there is an application to hang the defendant re-arraigned”.

Handing down the sentence at Belfast Crown Court docket, Mr Justice O’Hara acknowledged: “For homicide, the wanted sentence on this jurisdiction is life imprisonment and I impose a life sentence on you.”

Ali Jayden Doyle died on 6 August 2021.

On the time of the her loss of life, Armstrong had been in an on-off relationship alongside with her mother, Jade Dempsey.

Every Armstrong and Ms Dempsey seemed in court docket in September 2023, where they each denied involvement in her loss of life.

Addressing Armstrong in court docket, Mr Justice O’Hara outlined how he had firstly blamed the toddler’s one-300 and sixty five days ragged brother for causing the deadly harm by throwing a toy at her.

“Extra unbiased not too prolonged ago you admitted that you yourself had thrown her in explain that she hit her head on the fireplace and claimed that after you potentially did so you had misplaced your mood below the impact of medication – yet you restful denied homicide.

“You were not alleged to hang any contact at all with Ali or her brother because of social companies knew you were this type of risk to them each. Social companies were completely upright.”

Mr Justice O’Hara endured: “At a later listening to, I’m going to hear submissions relating to the minimal duration it be a must to encourage in penal advanced sooner than the Parole Commissioners decide when you might perchance well perchance also also be released.

“You can inquire a prolonged minimal sentence for what you potentially did to a defenceless two-300 and sixty five days-ragged who will hang to never hang been left to your care.”

Armstrong’s defence barrister confirmed he’ll be searching for reports sooner than sentencing and urged the decide “the court docket might perchance well perchance also very successfully be assisted by a psychiatric file”.

He acknowledged there hang been “difficulties” arranging consultations in Maghaberry because of Armstrong’s “security save” contained within the penal advanced.

The barrister also revealed that earlier this month Armstrong turned into “the victim of a vicious beating in which he sustained facial accidents.”

Mr Justice O’Hara turned into then addressed by a barrister representing Jade Dempsey.

The 27-300 and sixty five days ragged, whose address is the topic of a reporting restriction, has been charged with two offences organising from her daughter’s loss of life.

At a outdated court docket listening to, Ms Dempsey turned into charged with, and denied, causing the loss of life of a little one by an unlawful act on 6 August, 2021 and wilfully neglecting and exposing Ali Jayden Doyle in a mode seemingly to motive needless struggling or wretchedness to successfully being.

Her barrister acknowledged that in light of this day’s dispositions, he asked that Ms Dempsey’s case be re-listed this Friday.

Mr Justice O’Hara agreed to this search data from and urged Armstrong’s upright team of workers that he hoped a date for the plea listening to in his case might perchance well perchance also very successfully be subject on Friday.

Armstrong turned into then led from the dock and returned encourage into custody by penal advanced workers.